From banana bread to Bloomfield and Benee, this year’s top trending searches show what puzzled, intrigued and entertained us this year.
People come to Google Search for help in moments big and small billions of times a day - whether it’s to ask what is matariki, to find the lyrics to Kiwi Jawsh685’s Savage Love or understand antifa. Which is why, for the past 20 years, Google’s annual Year in Search moment has provided a window into the cultural zeitgeist.
So let’s take this moment as a time for reflection, and look at some of the themes that defined 2020 for Kiwis:
Staying home and figuring it out
As Alert Levels and Dr Ashley Bloomfield became part of our everyday vernacular, we quickly became adjusted to the new language of a pandemic, in understanding lockdown restrictions and how best to protect ourselves. We made face masks and hand sanitizer, and as we stayed home and faced job uncertainty, we looked to Work and Income for support. We relied on the Ministry of Health as knowledge became power in understanding the pandemic. We also discovered new ways to continue to work and learn online, through productivity and learning tools like Zoom, Seesaw and Education Perfect.
Culinary curiosity, but make it simple
Kiwis searched for “easy recipes” more than most other countries in March, reflecting either a newfound vigour or fear for the home cooking adventure of lockdown. Putting all the flour to good use, baked goods were king - hot cross buns, scones and pancakes all popular options. Naan and butter chicken were the more interesting savoury fare. Perhaps showing the limited runs to the supermarket, we also wanted to know how to make buttermilk and self raising flour. Chelsea Winter was an inspiration as was a plant based diet. And to counter earlier indulgences we wanted to know how to lose weight...fast.
Kiwis supporting Kiwis
In a year when many businesses faced tough times, Kiwis searched for "shop local" and "small business" more than we have for a decade. We showed greater interest in the economic market with NZX50 and Sharesies both trending. Homegrown talent piqued our interest as they made their mark overseas; Taika Waititi kept us entertained (at home) during lockdowns, Benee performed on a global stage, and Israel Adesanya, appearing on the trending Kiwis list for the second year in a row, showed his prowess in MMA fighting internationally. And in true Kiwi style, sporting heroes Lydio Ko, Ross Taylor and Dan Carter broke through.
Politically Engaged
Once we figured out how to vote, Kiwis showed their civic engagement with strong interest in our local election and the political figures who defined our election race. We were also following events happening worldwide closely, with international politicians making up half of the public figures on New Zealand’s list of trending international faces, and ‘US Election Results’ making it to second place of the Overall Trending Searches list.
More than ever, New Zealand’s top trending searches reflect a year of seeking new information, understanding and awareness of the world around us.
Overall Trending Searches:
Coronavirus
US Election Results
Zoom
SeeSaw
Kobe Bryant
Ministry of Health
Education Perfect
Work and Income
Naya Rivera
Sharesies
News Events:
Coronavirus
US Election Results
Australia fires
Election Results NZ
Nzx50
Iran
Italy Coronavirus
Beirut
Level 2
Iowa Caucus
Kiwi Celebs:
Hayley Holt
Israel Adesanya
Ashley Bloomfield
Lydia Ko
David Bain
Taika Waititi
Chelsea Winter
Benee
Dan Carter
Ross Taylor
Global Figures:
Kim Jong Un
Donald Trump
Boris Johnson
Joe Biden
Tom Hanks
Elon Musk
Joe Exotic
Kamala Harris
Carole Baskin
Kanye West
New Zealand Politicians:
Todd Muller
Jacinda Ardern
Judith Collins
Simon Bridges
Chloe Swarbrick
David Clark
Andrew Falloon
David Seymour
Winston Peters
How To:
How to make a face mask?
How to make hand sanitizer?
How to vote NZ?
How to lose weight fast?
How to make buttermilk?
How to make pancakes?
How to make self raising flour?
How to make naan bread?
How to make bread?
How to use Zoom?
What is:
What is Coronavirus?
What is the name of the Kingdom in Tangled?
What is Level 2?
What is a pandemic?
What is Matariki?
What is the time?
What is a simp?
What is buttermilk?
What is 5g?
What is antifa?
Loss:
Kobe Bryant
George Floyd
Chadwick Boseman
Caroline Flack
Sushant Singh Rajpu
Kenny Rogers
Kelly Preston
Eddie Van Halen
Sean Connery
Rishi Kapoor
Recipe:
Hot cross bun
Scone
Banana bread
Bread
Naan bread
Banana cake
Carrot cake
Butter chicken
Ciabatta
Pancake
Sporting Events:
India vs New Zealand
All Blacks vs Australia
NRL
EPL
Champions League
IPL
Australia Open 2020
Super Rugby 2020
Mitre 10 Cup
French Open
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